Save Me
by xSuperxNinjaxBunnyx
Summary: Adopted and continued by SilverFireworks as "From Myself"
1. Prologue

Romano's eyes widened as his dark brown eyes met the tired eyes of the beaten dark haired man that was just barely standing in front of him. It would have been no surprise to anyone in the open dusty courtyard if the man just fell over and didn't get back up. No one would have helped him either most everyone that stood and walked around would leave him to die. All for a simple stupid reason too; because the one tall masked man with a bristly chin that towered over the Italian as he stood next to him said so. The man had personally made sure that each and every one of his subjects wouldn't give a second thought to disobeying him; and his ways worked so well that most of the people here wouldn't think about going against him once. There was one thing that the prisoner did that mad many heads turn because it was so rare to see in this jail.

The man had smiled a warm and genuine smile.

"It's been so very long since we've last seen each other." He said his green eyes cheerful as he looked at the brown haired man in front of him, "Almost twenty years. You would be twenty-five now, would you not?"

Romano stayed silent as the smiling man tore his heart to shreds but the man kept talking with a heavy Spanish accent.

"You've grown so much." He praised making the Italian's heart flutter then tear more.

Romano could feel tears start to sting his eyes as the man he once knew continued to talk.

"I've really missed you, Lovi." He admitted, "I never stopped searching for you since you disappeared. Not even once."

"Don't call me that!" Romano yelled loosing it for a second.

"Romano…" Turkey growled the warning telling him to hurry up.

Romano looked at the gun in his hands and then at the Spanish man who frowned.

"I understand, Lovi." He smiled once more, "If you have to shoot then please shoot but let a man have his last words." He looked at Turkey from the corner of his eyes knowing that he was, if nothing else, an honorable man.

Turkey frowned but none the less nodded at Romano hating that the Spaniard had used him for his advantage. Even in the few moments he had left the dark brown haired man was still cunning.

The Spaniard smiled at Turkey knowingly.

"You have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself." He said, "And don't be afraid to show that soft side you have every-so-often."

Turkey smirked making a mental note to see this soft side the Spaniard spoke of.

He smiled at Romano. "I should have told you this earlier, but… Lovi, I lov-"


	2. Chapter 1

Bang.

The sound echoed throughout the courtyard but no one turned to see what had happened for they were all used to it by now. Romano hadn't noticed until a few moments later that he had tears spilling onto his cheeks and dripping from his chin. He dropped the gun in shock of what he had done but what was worse he had watched every second of it. He had seen how the once lively green eyes grew dull as the bullet pierced his flesh. He saw how a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and dripped from his chin. He watched as the Spaniard's head drooped and fell against his chest as the guards holding him up struggled with the now unsupported weight.

"Sp-Spain?" Romano whispered almost disbelievingly.

He looked at the gun on the ground in disgust and kicked it away angrily feeling a new hate boil inside of him for the weapon. Turkey placed a hand on his shoulder snapping him from his thoughts and smiled proudly at him.

"You changed your aim right at the last second." He informed, "But no matter we can work on it and you still punctured his lung and a slow death is better than no death."

"So he's not dead yet?" Romano asked a bit of hopefulness in his voice.

Turkey shook his head. "He only has a few minutes left, if I had to guess. But you never know."

Turkey snapped his fingers and called for someone to clean up.

"No! Wait!" Romano yelled without thinking and pulled away from Turkey's grip.

Turkey shot him a confused look but none the less asked, "What is it Romano?"

Romano had to think quickly to get away with his sudden outburst. "I… I'll clean it up." He said hoping that it'd been enough.

Turkey let out a deep chuckle. "Why would you want to do that, Romano?" the Turk asked.

"Because… because I…" Romano stuttered trying to figure out why in the world he would want to clean up dead bodies like he had when he had first been brought here.

"No need to get all nervous. You just want to be there when he actually does die right?" Turkey said with an unknown emotion in his eyes.

Romano nodded accepting this excuse.

"Let me tell you something." Turkey said wrapping his arm around the dark haired Italian's shoulders, "Watching the life leave the eyes of someone you know is dying because of you; it's the best feeling in the world. It makes you feel like you're in control, makes you feel powerful. Now enough of my rambling, go and have the best experience of your life. Make sure you come to dinner."

Turkey pushed Romano towards the Spaniard and walked away leaving the courtyard empty as everyone followed after him. The Italian rushed over to the bleeding man and put his hand over the wound.

"I'm sorry Spain. I'm so sorry." His whispered over and over as he lifted the Spaniard up off the ground.

The whole time the green glassy but still alive eyes starred at him but Romano tried to ignore them. He hurried down the hallways still holding his hand over the bullet hole wishing the bleeding would stop. He glanced down at the paling face to see that the once lively green eyes had grown clouded and half-lidded.

"Don't you die on me Spain!" Romano hissed and the eyelids opened as if he had woken up from sleeping.

"…Ro…ma…" Spain attempted to say but was cut off by violent coughing that made blood fly from his mouth.

Romano shifted Spain into a more comfortable position for the both of them. "Don't talk, Spain." Romano begged, "Please don't you'll only make it worse."

Romano could hear his raspy and weak breath as the man's head lay on his shoulder.

"Just hold on a bit more we're almost there." Romano encouraged, "Just please hold on."

Romano didn't even bother to knock when he had gotten to his destination. He turned the door knob and rushed into the room.

"Romano?" a dark curly haired girl asked, "What's going on?"

"No time." He said setting the Spaniard on a stretcher and quickly placing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, "Please help him now. I'll explain later."

The woman pulled an apron over her head and hurried over to the man. "Fine but the explanation better be good." She said.

"Thank you so much, Juliet." He said, "There's a bullet in his left lung."

He could have hugged her but that could wait until later.

She nodded. "Just stay out of my way Romano. Also grab that table over there and bring it here along with my equipment." She ordered.

Romano obeyed quickly and afterwards sat on an empty stretcher. Getting up and getting things for Juliet whenever she asked but other than that he remained out of her way.

"You bastard." He said under his breath, "You've gotten yourself into another mess."

'Then again…' Romano thought sadly, 'he wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me.'

"Romano." Juliet said with her eyes still concentrated on her patient, "You look exhausted, why don't you get some sleep."

"I can't." he said simply about to put his head in his hands when he noticed they were still covered by Spain's blood.

He rushed over to the sink and turned on the water. He rinsed his hands sloppily getting water all over his long sleeves. The red coloring slipped down the metal surface of the sink and down the drain until the water turned clear once more. He wiped the blood off of his forehead and cheeks with a towel that he dampened with water. He starred at the towel that had once been white until he was broken from his thoughts.

"It's not your fault."

He set the towel down on the counter but it fell to the ground. He didn't bother to pick it up.

"Yes it is."

"Stop beating yourself up."

He turned around to face her and leaned his back against the counter.

"I'm not." He denied.

Juliet snorted. "Liar. It's not your fault now knock it off." She scolded.

Romano crossed his arms. "And how do you know that it's not?" He asked, "You don't know what happened. You weren't there."

"I know you Romano." She smiled still very concentrated on her work, "You may act tough but you'd never do anything to hurt anyone on purpose."

He huffed and turned his head away from her. "If I'm wrong then prove it." She persuaded, "Tell me what happened."

"Fine." He growled.

/Flashback/

Romano looked at his reflection in the water. It was small but his light brown eyes shone fiercely with emotion.

"I can so take care of myself." He said to his reflection, "That tomato bastard just doesn't want me to prove that I'm stronger than him."

He heard footsteps behind him and quickly turned around to see a very tall masked man.

"Who are you, bastard?" he demanded.

The masked man picked him up by the back of his shirt easily. "Strong, hm?" he asked.

Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was frightened by the strange man. "Damn it! Put me down, now!" Romano growled kicking and flailing his arms.

"You don't seem strong." He mused, "I'll take you with me anyway. You might be a good servant if you don't make it through the training."

Romano was thrown into the back of a wagon. He felt his head collide with one of the walls and then the world faded from his grasp.

/Flashback End/

"If I had been stronger, I would have been able to get away. Then none of this would have ever happened." He sighed, "I should have listened to Spain when he told me not to go out there alone."

"You were a child." Juliet pointed out, "And you still don't listen."

"I'm not going to sleep if that's what you're getting at." Romano argued.

She sighed. "Please?"

He shook his head.

"How do you think this guy would feel if you got sick over this?" She argued.

Romano said nothing back.

"There's a spare bed-"

"I know." Romano cut her off.

There was silence as Romano walked across the room to stand beside the bed where the Spaniard lay. His warmth breath fogged up the oxygen mask that lay over his mouth and nose making faint reassured smile pull at the corners of Romano's mouth.

"He'll be OK… right?" Romano asked worriedly.

Juliet nodded. "Yeah. He'll be fine." She assured, "Now please go to sleep."

"Fine, fine." He said.

"Good night."

"'Night." Replied Romano.

BAM

Romano was woken up to a loud noise. He looked around the empty room except for Spain who was lying on the bed unconscious. He heard something metallic clanging on the tile floor.

"Are you sure you haven't seen Romano at all today?"

Romano recognized that voice. He was just too tired to put it with the face.

"I'm sorry Turkey, sir, I haven't."

Oh shit.


	3. Chapter 2

The Italian leapt from the uncomfortable hospital bed he was previously laying on. He pulled out the tubes attached to the Spaniard's skin roughly and messily even though he knew that he would pay for it later. Though he was surprised that the tan man had not been woken up by the rough treatment, he had no time. He grabbed an oxygen mask and attached one end of a long clear tube to an oxygen container and opened the nozzle to let the air flow through the tube. Romano opened the cupboard under the sink and crawled in. He closed the doors leaving a small gap so the gas inside the tube would easily go into the mask. He placed the mask over Antonio's nose and mouth just as the door opened letting Juliet and Turkey into the small doctor's office.

Lovino froze, silently praying to god that neither Spain nor he would be found.

"How could you have not seen him? He's with you almost constantly." Romano identified that as Turkey's voice even thought it was not hard to tell the two apart. Juliet's was sweet and warm and caring while Turkey's was loud and a threat was hidden under each of his words. Not to mention that Turkey's voice was a lot deeper than Juliet's.

"Look, I haven't seen him since before you asked for him yesterday afternoon." Juliet informed and Romano could hear her across the room messing with something in the cupboards.

"Do you have any idea where he _might_ be then?" Turkey asked and Romano could tell he was getting frustrated from the tone of his voice.

There was a small moment of silence and Romano assumed that Juliet was thinking about possible answers for the question. "He might be getting something to eat. You said that he wasn't there for dinner last night." She said thoughtfully, "Or did you try his room, maybe?"

"I tried both of those places." Turkey said abruptly before she finished her sentence.

Romano heard Turkey's heavy footsteps coming closer. His heartbeat increased with every step he took until he thought it might pop out of his skin. The dark haired Italian hoped that the Turk would not be able to hear it. As the footsteps stopped in front of the cupboard he was in, Romano held his breath waiting for the doors to open and the two of them would be found. Spain would be killed; there was no doubt in his mind of this. And he would be severely punished if not killed himself. Juliet would face the consequences as well.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on Spain as he heard something brush against the doors. Romano closed his eyes tightly, preparing for the worst.

_Click._

Romano cautiously opened one eye but he saw nothing but darkness. He reached out to where the door was and gently pushed against it only to find that it wouldn't budge.

'_Well,'_ Romano thought, _'it's better than getting caught.'_

He could vaguely hear Turkey and Juliet talking but since the doors had been closed it was hard to make out words. He did he best to attempt to do so anyway until he felt something brushed against him. The small movement increased to flailing and struggling.

"Can't… breathe…" Romano was able to make out the soft words and quickly pulled the oxygen mask off of the Spaniard's nose and mouth.

Antonio took a moment to catch his breath before talking. "Lovino?" he asked.

Spain tried to get into a more comfortable position but it only ended up with him hitting his head off the top of counter.

"Ouch!" The man with curly brown hair would have exclaimed loudly if Romano hadn't slapped his hand over his mouth.

Romano could hear the bottles over top of them topple over and slide around. One of them rolled into the sink with a loud _'Clang'_. The Italian pulled Spain close to him.

"Sta 'zitto." He muttered in Italian to the older man.

Spain nodded against him and kept quiet.

"What was that?" Romano heard Turkey ask.

Juliet said something and messed around with the bottles above them but Romano could not make out what she had said. The room became silent for a long moment and the Italian felt that nothing good was coming to come because of it. He listened as a bottle was lifted off of the counter and a few seconds later the sound of glass shattering filled the room. A few pieces fell onto the tile floor and the room was filled with a pained cry.

Heavy footsteps retreated from the room and the door was shut loudly.

"Juliet!" Romano called banging on the door as soon as the door shut.

He got no reply from her and kicked at the door roughly.

"The door is locked Romano. Remember?" Juliet said softly, "We couldn't find the keys."

"Yeah and I had to pick the lock." I said planting another kick on the door, "Are you OK?"

Juliet was quiet for a moment. "I'm fine Romano."

Another kick and punch landed on the door. "Did he hurt you?" He asked.

Lovino waited for a few minutes before calling out to her again. "Juliet?" he asked worriedly.

"Juliet!" He kicked the doors with more strength than he meant to and sent one of them flying off of the hinges.

He crawled out quickly and rushed over to his friend.

She smiled at him. "I'm fine, see?" Romano grabbed her hand that she held by her chest.

"That bastard." He hissed looking at her blood and glass covered hand, "Go sit down."

"I'll be fine really." She argued.

"Go sit down!" he yelled rummaging through the cupboards.

She sighed and sat down on one of the beds in her office. "What about your friend?" she asked looking at the now broken doors under the sink.

"Hey Tomato Bastard!" he called.

"Si?"

"He's fine." Romano said grabbing some bandages and a pair of tweezers.

He sat down next to Juliet and grabbed her injured hand. He picked out the pieces of broken glass with the tweezers gently and let them drop to the floor. He would clean them up later. It was silent except for the noise the glass made as it hit the floor until Juliet decided to break it.

"Turkey," she started, "he is upset with you."

"So? What else is new?" he pulled grabbed a fairly large piece of glass with the tweezers and pulled but was surprised when it stayed put.

"Ouch, Romano. That hurts." She informed wincing.

"I'm sorry." He apologized quickly.

She nodded. "Please don't go."

With a rather violent tug the piece of glass left her skin. "Sorry." Romano muttered quickly, "You know I have to."

Romano got up to get some disinfectant but came back quickly.

"No you don't." Juliet said as he poured the liquid over the cuts on her hand.

It bubbled slightly and dripped to the floor. "Yes I do." He argued.

"You could leave."

Romano wiped the remainder of the disinfectant off and wrapped the bandages around her hand. "How could I leave? It's not possible unless you're sent out to fight." Romano inquired.

"Run away."

"Are you kidding me? We'll get shot." He exclaimed.

Juliet shook her head. "No you go. It'll be easier to escape if there's only one person." She explained.

Romano tied the bandage. "I'm not leaving either of you." He said walking over to the sink and forcing the other door open.

He pulled Spain out and set him on the bed. "Juliet meet Spain, Spain meet Juliet."

"Ow, Lovi, you could have been gentler." The Spanish man grinned.

Romano said nothing as grabbed a broom from the corner and swept up the glass.

Spain pouted slightly and turned his attention to the young girl that Romano called Juliet. "Antonio Carriedo." He said extending his hand towards her.

"Juliet Kariin." She said as she shook his hand.

Romano dumped the broken glass into the trashcan and walked to the door.

"Please don't go." Juliet begged just before his hand grabbed the door knob.

Romano opened the door and rushed out quickly muttering a soft "I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 3

As he stood in front of the door that belonged to the Turkish man he was forced to follow for the past eighteen years, Romano found himself doing the most stupid thing he had ever done of the course of the twenty-five years that he lived. And even though it was stupid of him to do he was going to do it anyway.

He knocked on the door. Not once or twice but three times.

Three quick taps.

And he instantly regretted it. He knew that he would regret it before he knocked but that was why he had to knock. Because if he didn't he might just chicken out and flee from this horrible place where you were taught nothing but to kill. He remembered these teaches well; the memories were strengthened by the fact that he was taught by Turkey himself. He regretted going through what he did but it was survival of the fittest. Shoot or be shot. Keep running or fall behind and be left to die. And most important of all don't cry. No matter what happened. To Turkey, crying marked the weak. If you were going to cry at least don't let anyone see or find out about it.

The door opened pulling Romano from his thoughts and his eyes met the face of the man he hated more than anyone. "Ah, Romano." He said, "Come in."

Even though Turkey kept his face hidden Romano could make out the growing grinning under the cloth that hid his mouth and nose. The Italian wanted to run but he already stepped into the room making sure that he could not back out of this one. Running away would only leave pain for others to suffer. Others far too close to him.

X

Juliet starred at the door praying that Romano would come back saying that it was all just a cruel joke. She knew why he needed to go to Turkey's room as what would happen if he did not go. But what she did not know was why. Why? Why did he keep sticking his neck out for her? He was going to stick his neck out too far sometime and be unable to return to his normal self. Or worse. She hoped that it wouldn't be worse.

"Juliet." She looked over to see the Spaniard pushing himself off of the bed and too his feet.

"Don't." She said hurrying to make him get back in the bed.

"Please stay in the bed." Her words were soft and sad, "What would Romano do if knew that you weren't trying to get better?"

Spain met her dark brown eyes that were slightly red and irritated. "Is going to see Turkey that bad?" he asked.

Juliet nodded. "From what I've seen and hear it's horrible." She admitted.

"You haven't gone to see him?" Spain asked somewhat surprised.

Juliet shook her head. "No." Her eyes turned watery, "Romano's always gone instead of me."

Spain's eyes grew wide. "Lovi?" he asked incredulously, "Why?"

"I don't know." She sighed, "Whenever I told him about Turkey wanting to see me he would hurry off before I had time to argue. I wanted to go after him but he would lock the door and take my keys so I couldn't. I wanted to though. I spent the whole time in here worrying about him and he would come back the next morning limping and covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises. He would smile and say that he was OK but I knew that he was lying every time."

Spain stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. "Eventually I just stopped telling him whenever Turkey wanted to see me but he would find out anyway." Juliet said her tears now overflowing onto her cheeks and dripping from her chin. "I don't want him to get hurt because of me. I never did."

"He'll be alright." Spain said trying to assure himself as well.

"You don't know what Turkey will do to him." Juliet worried.

"Then tell me." Spain pushed.

X

Romano backed up against a corner. He was trapped. He felt like a mouse in front of a giant hungry cat with no chances of escape.

"Why don't you just tell me the real reason you weren't at dinner last night, Romano?" Turkey asked, "Please, your making me feel like the bad guy."

"You are the bad guy!" Romano yelled struggling to find an escape route.

"Now that's not nice Romano." The Turk scolded.

"Go to Hell, Bastard!" The Italian yelled.

Something glass shattered on the top of his head and against the wall and the younger man yelped in pain.

Turkey pulled his dazed underling up to his eye level and hissed, "Fine, I'm the bad guy now. And as the bad guy I want you to know that I already know why you weren't at dinner." His breath smelled rotten and Romano weakly tried to push away. "Just admit it already, it'll be easier."

Romano shook his head limply before being tossed against the wall. The glass cut into his forehead and blood dripped down the side of this face. His senses were slowly coming back until Turkey grabbed his wrist. He felt it twist painfully until the room was filled with a sickening _snap!_ Romano screamed in pain as his senses were forced back too quickly.

"Romano, stop that noise." Turkey ordered slapping him across the face, "That Spaniard called you something before you shot it. Lovi was it not?"

Romano's eyes widened.

"So Romano, I don't you've been entirely truthful with me. Or should I call you Lovi?" Turkey asked.

"Don't call me that you Bastard!" Romano yelled.

"No I shouldn't call you that, it's not your true name anyway is it Lovino?" Turkey ignored his yelling and protesting. "Now Lovino, if you could be so kind as to tell me what happened to the Spaniard I would be grateful. I haven't hunted down any prey in a long times so this should be very enjoyable."

X

"Broken bones, cuts, burns, bruises, I've seen Romano come back with those most of the times he goes to see Turkey." Juliet explained, "But he likes to harm people mentally as well as physically."

"Like?" Spain asked.

Juliet was silent. "It'd be better if Romano told you." she said, "I don't want to tell you things that he wouldn't want you to know."

Spain sighed. "Alright."

X

"Get out." growled Turkey pushing the Italian off of the bed.

The dark haired Italian landed on the floor with a pained groan but it was nothing compared to what he had just gone through. Romano struggled to get his legs to work and allow him to stand. When he eventually did his legs wobbled like jelly but he forced them to work just long enough for him to get out of the room. He grabbed his clothes and pulled them on quickly before quickly limping through the door. It was left open just a bit but Romano couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He was sticky and felt like shit.

Romano's legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor while walking. He was a good distance away from Turkey's room but he wasn't anywhere near where Juliet and Spain were. He could feel unconsciousness creeping up on him and black invade his vision. Lovino hoped that someone would find him. He had left the door for Juliet's office open. He just held it closed for a while until she stopped fighting with the door knob and took the keys to make it look like he had locked them in. He just hoped the one to find him wouldn't be Turkey.


	5. Chapter 4

_Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…_

_Click Click Click Click_

_Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…_

_Click Click Click Click_

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

"Romano!" Juliet exclaimed as she burst through the doors of the pathetic excuse of a hospital that rested somewhere in the middle of the camp where Turkey trained people for his military. Her heels clicked on the tile floor as she ran through the halls looking into each room for the Italian that had become very dear to her over the years. Unfortunately, as she passed each room the chestnut hair of Romano's was nowhere to be seen. Curse the infernal beeping that came from the occupied rooms. It surrounded her making it hard to concentrate.

She skidded to a halt and rushed back to the room she had just passed. Doctors were moving throughout the room quickly and talking to one another. She was able to catch very little of it with all of the mixed voices but from what she heard she could not make a clear judgment of how badly Romano was injured. She pushed her way into the room past the doctors and to the side of the bed. She gasped seeing the damage Turkey had done to the Italian who had saved her more than a few times. His lips were busted open letting a small trail of blood run down his cheek. The skin on his arm was torn letting the snapped edge of a white bone be seen just below the inside of his elbow. One of his eyes was surrounded by a dark purple bruise followed by another smaller one on his cheek. Juliet could see small bits of glass and the red color of blood covered by the hair on the top of his head.

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

His heart rate was slow and his breath just barely fogged up the plastic mask that covered his mouth.

"Please, you have to leave." Said a doctor behind her as he tried to usher her out of the crowded room.

"No!" Juliet argued, "I'm his best friend! I'm not leaving him!"

She struggled against the man. "Please." He said, "Let us do our work."

"I am a nurse! I can help you!" She protested as more men began to attempt to get her out of the room.

_Beep… Beep… Beep…Beep… Beeeep…. Beeeeeeeep…_

"We're losing him!"

"ROMANO!"

Juliet pushed past the crowd and placed herself right next to the edge.

"Don't you die on me you idiot!" She screamed, "Don't leave me! What about Spain? You just got him back! Are you really going to just let that go?"

_Beeeeeeeeeep...Beeeeeep…. Beeeep… Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…_

Juliet sighed in relief as his heart rate slowly returned to normal before turning back to the doctors. "I'm not leaving this room."

The doctors did not argue with her or ask her to stay out of the way. They, in fact, they asked for her help with Romano's wounds. Juliet took over the entire operation and together the group had the bones in his arm and wrist back in place and the cuts on his arms where stitched up within an hour. The glass was pulled from his scalp and hair and his head was bandaged. The blood from his face was wiped off and his lip was sown closed. Juliet was informed once they had finished that the only visible wounds on his chest and stomach where multiple bruised along with a few small cuts but nothing major. When they dug further they found a few broken ribs but thankfully most of his internal organs were left undamaged.

X

Spain had been sitting in Juliet's office for at least an hour and a half if not more and he was downright bored. There was nothing to do. He rummaged through the cupboards and read the names and the information of everything that was in each bottle and box. He tried sitting around and daydreaming but he was far too worried about Lovino. So Antonio looked through the cupboards again. After another hour had passed without word from Juliet he grew worried. Within a few minutes the Spaniard found a button and began to play with it. He stopped a few minutes later when the screen the button was next to flashed red then went completely black. By the end of it he ended up face down on the bed sick with worry and boredom. After who knows how long, he heard the door creak open. He flipped onto his side quickly and jumped off of the bed and too his feet.

He glared feeling anger grow in his stomach. "What do you want?" he demanded. Antonio's eyes never left those of the man in front of him.

"So you did survive." The masked Turk said to himself thoughtfully, "I should have just shot you myself."

"Where's Romano and what did you do to him?" It wasn't a question.

Turkey simply shrugged and Spain felt his anger flare. He charged at the larger man not thinking clearly but stopped as his forehead collided with something small but hard. His green eyes traveled upwards to see a long barrel of a metallic gun the end of which met his forehead. There was a gloved hand on the trigger.

"I didn't come here for a fight but if you insist I will fight. And I will win." Turkey threatened, "Anyways, while I cannot see why Lovino cares for you so much, a deal is a deal. For the moment I cannot harm you without consequences to me."

Spain looked at him questioningly. "What deal?"

"That is for Lovino to tell you." Turkey avoided the question easily, "I'm leaving now. I have things to attend to."

"Speaking of which, don't you have an Italian to attend to?" He asked just before closing the door behind him.

Spain stood still looking at the door.

"_How odd…"_ He thought.

X

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

"_What the fuck is that noise?"_ he thought.

He cracked his eyes open to see white. _"Where am I?"_

He could hear voices around him but couldn't make out who they belonged to or what they were saying. The worlds jumbled together making him feel as if he were on an alien planet. He attempted to move his head to the side but felt a sharp pain in his neck and let out a low groan of pain. He could feel a dull throbbing in the back of head. He blinked his eyes open wider and he heard the voices stop.

"H…u…" The words made his ears buzz.

He went to move his hand to protect his eyes from the blinding light that greeted him when he opened his eyes wider but he barely moved it before pain shot from his finger tips to his shoulder. A loud sound surrounded him and he suddenly found it very hard to breathe. He could faintly feel something touching him and he struggled to get whatever it was off of him. This caused him more pain and the loud sound grew in strength.

"L…!" He heard faintly

"Lov…!"

"Lovi!"

Lovino sat up quickly but instantly regretted it feeling dizziness make his world spin. Something held his back and kept him up straight while the thing on his other side left. He could feel bile creep up his throat before emptying what little he had in his stomach. The bitter taste of stomach acid lingered on his tongue and cheeks.

"Good thing you got the trash can." Romano heard as he was laid back down.

"You really scared us Lovi." A face invaded his vision. They had curly brown locks of hair and bright green emeralds for eyes.

Romano swallowed trying to help his dry and sore throat. "W…Whe…re?" He managed to ask.

"You're in the hospital." Another face appeared in front of him. This one had long black hair with perfect curls and tanner skin than the other. They're eyes were a dark brown.

"Hosp...Hospital?" he asked.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, hospital. Don't you remember what happened?" she asked.

"N…no." his voice cracked painfully.

The Italian rolled to his side to face the girl talking to him but instead ended up upchucking on the floor and slipping back into unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 5

To say that the sight of the pale and dead looking Italian lying still on the bed covered by a thin white sheet scared him would be a complete understatement. Adding to that understated fear was the sight of Juliet with her head in her hands on the other side of the bed sitting in a chair that was graciously placed in the room. Then again he wasn't scared because that was an understatement. Well actually only half of an understatement; the other half being 'the hell out of him'. So the whole understatement would be that the sights scared the hell out of him which was true. And since he could find no other way to explain the fear he went with: 'It scared the hell out of him'.

"Juliet?" Antonio asked worry in his eyes.

She looked up as her name was called. Her red and tired eyes looked up to meet those green emeralds that belonged to the man whom Romano cared about more than anything.

"S-Spain…" she said rubbing her eyes quickly, "What are you doing here?"

Spain glanced down at the Italian as if he would look better than he had barely a minute ago. "Turkey told me to come." Spain admitted looking up at Juliet again, "Romano… is he…?" He couldn't bring himself to say the last part.

"Ah! No, no he's not. Don't worry he's..." Juliet struggled to find a fitting word, "Recovering."

The Spaniard sighed in relief. "Thank God…"

"Why did Turkey tell you to come here?" Juliet asked going back to the original topic.

Spain shrugged. "I really don't know but he knows that I survived being shot by Romano."

"So why didn't he shoot you then?" Juliet asked surprised that the man before her had not been killed.

"He said something about a deal that made it so he couldn't harm me." Spain thought, "Something to do with Romano."

"WHAT?"

"Romano and Turkey made some kind of deal and now Turkey can't hurt me because of it." Spain explained again.

Juliet pinched the bridge of her nose. "I got that part." She said slightly growling.

"Then why did you say 'what'?" Antonio asked in confusion.

"Just leave it, Spain." Juliet sighed.

Her pupils move to the corners of her eyes to look down at the sickly Italian. Her eyebrows knitted turning her curious gaze into a frustrated glare. He really needed to think these things through before agreeing to them. Who knows what was going to happen to him now. Right after he healed up and got out of the hospital she was going to kick his ass before strangling him. Possibly strangling him to death for being so stupid wasn't a bad idea. He'd at least end up in the hospital for another week or two after she was done with him.

Spain, noticing the evil aura that surrounded her, had fled across the room and pushed his back flat against the wall wanting to avoid her rage but at the same time wanting to stay in the room with Lovino. The dark haired girl looked around the room for the man who had been standing right next to her just a few seconds ago. Her eyes landing on him and the color drained from his face when he saw that the glare hadn't left her face.

"What the hell are you doing all the way over there?" She asked annoyance lingering in her voice.

Spain was about to respond (although he wasn't sure what he was going to say so he was thankful for the distraction) when he caught something in the corner of his eyes. He got up quickly and hurried over to the bed where Lovino lay. His brown eyes were cracked open and he was blinking which Spain assumed was to get used to the light. The Italian let out a weak groan.

"He's waking up!" Spain exclaimed happily making it come out louder than it should have.

Juliet looked down feeling a slight movement under the sheets to see Romano's arm moving just a bit. She knew it wasn't going to turn out good from working on his arm but Romano didn't. It'd be surprising if he remembered anything at the moment with all the drugs the doctors had him on. Romano screamed and thrashed and Juliet guessed that it was because of the pain his arm was radiating.

"Hold him down!" Juliet shouted to the Spaniard who did just that.

This only made Romano thrash harder and scream louder.

"Lovi!" Spain called trying to calm him down, "Lovi! Lovi!"

Romano's screaming died down as he sat straight up. Juliet rushed around the room as if looking for something. Antonio looked back at the Italian and noticed that he had turned a faint shade of green. Romano turned his head away from Spain before losing his lunch in a trash can which Juliet had brought just in time. The tan hands that belonged to Spain rubbed his back comfortingly before gently pushing Romano back down onto the bed.

"Good thing you got the trash can." Antonio said quickly to Juliet before turning back to Lovino.

Juliet stood by his bed. "You really scared us, Lovi." She said. After thinking for a minute or two she decided not to call him Lovi again. It just didn't work when she said it like it did when Antonio said it.

"W…Whe…re?" Romano attempted to ask.

"You're in the hospital." Spain said noticing Romano's eyes flicker over to him.

"Hosp...Hospital?" he asked.

Juliet's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "Yes, hospital. Don't you remember what happened?" she asked wondering if he needed to be taken off of the pain killers and sedatives for a while.

"N…no." his voice cracked painfully making Spain flinch.

The Italian rolled to his side emptying the contents of his stomach once more time before falling unconscious. Spain sighed and walked over to the sink. He tore off a paper towel before neatly folding it and running water over it. He wiped the sweat off of Lovino's face and washed the stomach acid away from his slightly parted lips. He was vaguely aware of Juliet cleaning up the vomit that laid on the floor but, for the most part, Romano's sleeping face was the only thing that filled his vision.

"Spain?" Juliet asked. When the country did not answer she called again but louder.

"Hm?" Spain asked jumping slightly, "What? What is it?"

"Would you like to stay here for the night?" Juliet asked.

Spain nodded. "Yes please." There was nothing that would take him away from Lovino at the moment. He was never letting them be separated again.

"Alright." Juliet yawned before getting up and leaving the room, "I'll be right back."

Spain turned back to the Italian and smiled at his peaceful face. He grabbed the smaller and more feminine hand that wasn't injured and intertwined their fingers. He smiled at the pale and sleeping face.

"Don't worry, Lovino. It'll be alright." Spain promised, "I won't let anything bad happen to you anymore."

Antonio planted a quick kiss on the Italian's cheek and pulled back still smiling. He placed his head on his arm keeping their fingers intertwined and shut his eyes.

"Te amo, Lovino." He said before falling asleep.

He didn't see the corners of Romano's lips turn into a smile or the deep brown eyes crack open to look at him. He didn't hear Romano's voice when he scolded him and told him not to make promises he couldn't keep.

Romano sighed and an overwhelming silence filled the room. Not being able to stand the silence anymore he whispered, "Ti amo troppo." After a pause he added, "Antonio." Before shutting his eyes once more and tightening his grip on Spain's hand.


	7. Chapter 6

_I was walking through the hallways of the military base that belonged to Turkey. I had been forced to spend the majority of my life here and unwillingly I learned the hallways well. I knew every twist and turn; where to go and where to stay away from. My eyes were closed and the circles around them proved that how worn and tired I was._

_But yet I could see everything around me. Even myself._

_It's an odd feeling to be able to see yourself without a mirror. It feels almost as if you're watching a play about yourself without an audience and you're free to move around without worrying about anyone noticing that you are there. Of course the me I was seeing was much younger than the me now. I looked to be somewhere in my early teens, maybe earlier. Somewhere between the ages of thirteen and ten. Whatever age I was, I was following me just a few steps away down a hallway that I felt I should know but couldn't remember at the moment._

"_Romano!" I heard a voice call._

_I turned around on instinct and saw the masked man that I loathed more than anything. He pushed past me not even realizing that I was there and walked over to the younger me._

"_Romano where have you been?" he scolded, "You should be at training with all of the other students."_

_The younger me folded his arms across his chest stubbornly when the older man went to grab his wrist. "Don't you mean prisoners?" I snapped back._

_Turkey let out a tired sigh. "Romano, stop making this difficult and go to training."_

_I shook my head in defiance._

"_Romano." He growled warningly._

_I glared at him. "Never." I spat._

_Turkey rushed up to me and had me slung over his shoulder within a matter of seconds. I watched the scene unfold in front of me as the younger me just made it harder for him. We both knew that he was fighting a losing battle but at the same time we were both so stubborn. Too stubborn._

_The Turkish man walked calmly down the hall ignoring the younger me's insults, threats, kicks, and punches as if they weren't even happening. I followed behind them with a feeling I couldn't quite place nagging me in the farthest corners of my mind. We pushed through a pair of large doors and a bright light shone around me, blinding me for a moment. I suddenly found myself outside and looking around I figured out what that feeling was. Dread and remembrance._

_I knew what was coming and I didn't want to see it. I already had to go through it once and that was more than enough. I tried to leave but I couldn't. My feet refused to move from the spot where I stood._

"_Come on!" I shouted at them._

_My feet started to move and I was foolish enough to believe that they had actually listened and I was leaving the scene before me. In a few moments I noticed that I was moving closer._

_I was about to shout at them again but his attention was caught by his younger self being tossed to the ground roughly with a soft 'Oof!'. The younger me propped himself up on his elbows and shot a nasty glare towards the Turk who only smirked back._


End file.
